Will Civil Air Patrol get DCU or ABU?

[abdsp51]

AF leadership doesn't want us to have anything affiliated with the Army.  Its the reason why those of us patched can't wear them.

[manfredvonrichthofen]

AF leadership doesn't want us to have anything affiliated with the Army.  Its the reason why those of us patched can't wear them.

You mean wear a combat patch?

[abdsp51]

AF leadership doesn't want us to have anything affiliated with the Army.  Its the reason why those of us patched can't wear them.

You mean wear a combat patch?

Yes sir.

[manfredvonrichthofen]

That is a load of (junk), about as irritating as Simeon grin the Army with a CAB not being able to wear it on CAP uniforms.

[jimmydeanno]

I've always thought that the DoD should have a "state-side" utility uniform, BDUs or something.  Then, when they decide to go to war, or need to conduct operations, they just have a uniform designed for that environment and everyone that goes, gets that uniform.  So, if multi-cam is the color that makes most sense in the Stan, then Marines, Army, Navy, and Air Force folks put on a set when they leave the US.  When they get back, they put on their state-side utilities again.

Next time, if we're going through somewhere like N. Korea, the pattern might need to be different, so, we just put together the camo that meets that environment.

I understand the need to have the Air Force feel like their part of a team, etc, but isn't the most important team "United States of America" and not "Air Force?"  So, "United States of America" team should wear the same thing.

[titanII]

I've always thought that the DoD should have a "state-side" utility uniform, BDUs or something.  Then, when they decide to go to war, or need to conduct operations, they just have a uniform designed for that environment and everyone that goes, gets that uniform.  So, if multi-cam is the color that makes most sense in the Stan, then Marines, Army, Navy, and Air Force folks put on a set when they leave the US.  When they get back, they put on their state-side utilities again.

That sounds like a good idea, but it seems to me that the extra effort to issue ALL of the deployed with completely new uniforms on short notice would be somewhat of a logistical nightmare. But then again, I know next to nothing about how military supplies and logistics work, so take that with a grain of salt.

[abdsp51]

It would be a supply and fiscal nightmare, especially since body armor covers would have to be developed, equipment what can and cannot be worn etc.  IMO opinion I do not see the DoD going towards any type of common uniform any time soon, each branch is trying to save there programs and manpower from the budget axe. 

But the best type of camo would be Snake's sneaking suit or the Predator's.  And I mean Snake's suit from Metal Gear Solid 4  :clap:.

[manfredvonrichthofen]

I have always been a huge fan of black BDU pants bloused over black boots and the PT shirt with a black baseball hat with up to two badges an your rank, that would be a pretty dang good garrison uniform for anything that needs done around post. Then the field/combat uniforms and service dress uniforms.

[Private Investigator]

It would be a supply and fiscal nightmare, ...

We all know the 1% that is making a fortune off of the military industrial complex.   

[abdsp51]

Doesn't sound bad.  Personally I like the uniforms alot of the LE agencies here have pretty much adopted.  Don't get me wrong I don't mind the ABU it's alot less maintenance free than the BDU but it can get hot and its expensive to boot.  I pay about 60 bucks for a pair of green boots min but if I want something else I have to pay $100+.  I personally thing that the AF should have stayed with the tan it looks better and to piggyback there are more choices available for them.  Shoot we could have even stuck with black leather for the same reasons or gone to a black suede boot. 

[jimmydeanno]

In many ways, its almost what they're doing now.  An Airman deploy to a specific unit and the give them an entirely new set of multicam, etc.  It would require the DoD to look past the current budget cycle and pre plan logistical by developing patterns and setting up suppliers, even keeping some materials front loaded, but American manufacturing and logistic channels can produce and distribute clothing very quickly if needed. 

I don't see the fiscal nightmare, because everyone would be in one uniform, getting the bulk discounts, and in the case we have an operation, only those involved would get issued something.  ABUs and ACUs don't work in jungle, jungles don't work in desert, etc.  So, there's no point making your entire force dress in desert oriented camo for a limited amount of folks who are actually going to the desert.

We already spend over a trillion a year on DoD operations and we're worried about a few million here and there on mission specific uniforms? 

[abdsp51]

[quote author=jimmydeanno link=topic=14961.msg271103#msg271103 date=1333202619
We already spend over a trillion a year on DoD operations and we're worried about a few million here and there on mission specific uniforms?
[/quote]

A few million that can help towards the 500 billion dollars in cuts that have come down the pipeline, which has resulted in numerous jobs lost among other things.

[jimmydeanno]

The government isn't a job creation service, and our economy shouldn't be built upon what budget the DoD gets that year. 

A single service uniform should save money. Quantity discounts, etc.

The creation of single uniforms to be worn in the applicable environment should save money, since you aren't outfitting the entire service in them each time we start operating in a different environment.

The Army created the ACU because they were fighting in Iraq.  Then they went to Afghanistan, and the pattern doesn't work as well.  What if there's another Bosnia-type incident?  Are they going to switch back to Woodland for the entire service?  That is waste, and what we shouldn't stand for.

[manfredvonrichthofen]

There inlies the beauty of the multicam, in one pattern lies the ability to blend rather nicely in three different types of terrain... Desert, jungle and mountain. The standard woodland only went well with jungle and the normal idea of woods here in CONUS, and the desert only worked in a desert... Go figure, and personally I don't think that jungle worked anywhere at all, it just had too much black. One uniform for all services would work in many different areas, and would cut down cost like crazy. And after wearing it in Afghanistan, I don't think even ACU even blends with desert or rocky mountains... It is junk pattern.

[Extremepredjudice]

How about the service gets 3 uniforms. 1. Jungle/woodland 2. Urban 3. Desert

We'd be at the same amount of uniforms, but have something for everywhere

[Eclipse]

Awesome, but I thought we all agreed that camouflage is the exact opposite of what CAP needs.

[RogueLeader]

Awesome, but I thought we all agreed that camouflage is the exact opposite of what CAP needs.

I thought we agreed that we ought to be in the same uniform as our parent service.

[Eclipse]

Awesome, but I thought we all agreed that camouflage is the exact opposite of what CAP needs.

I thought we agreed that we ought to be in the same uniform as our parent service.

Other than affinity, it serves little mission purpose, and the current rules split our membership artificially into two groups.
Safety issues, spirit issues, looks like more minus than plus.

[RogueLeader]

Awesome, but I thought we all agreed that camouflage is the exact opposite of what CAP needs.

I thought we agreed that we ought to be in the same uniform as our parent service.

Other than affinity, it serves little mission purpose, and the current rules split our membership artificially into two groups.
Safety issues, spirit issues, looks like more minus than plus.

Safety issues?  Spirit issues? What you talking about Willis?  Other than the rules from Ma Blue, that is.

[Eclipse]

Being in camo, in the woods (or urban for that matter), doesn't make you more safe when you're doing SAR or DR.

Being "different" from the "other guys on your team" doesn't give you more spirit.

Neither is on the top of the charts as to CAP's challenges, but they are on the list, and should be
weighted heavily in decisions regarding any changes to our already schizophrenic uniforms choices.